India loves terrorism and detests peace

Asif Haroon Raja

Indian civil and military leadership is haunted by several fears. The thing which cannot be digested by Indian leaders is that USA which is India’s strategic partner since 1991 and both had collectively devised a plan to snare Pakistan and then denuclearize and balkanize it, has begun to change colors. Hardly had they reconciled to the drawdown plan of ISAF from Afghanistan much against their advice, when another grim situation confronted them wherein the US started to make friendly overtures to Pakistan and repeatedly declared that Pakistan was the key country and without its assistance, safe exit of ISAF from Afghanistan was not possible. The US is showing readiness to subcontract to Pakistan the reconciliation process with the Taliban. This shift in US policy has created a new dynamic in the Afghan endgame. Britain played an important role in curing the US-Pakistan rift.

The new regional condominium which is shaping up fast in which Pakistan figures out prominently is giving nightmares to India. Despite India expressing its serious concerns over Pakistan’s growing involvement in Afghan affairs, Washington is continuing to draw Pakistan into the reconciliation process. Delhi is becoming secondary to the Afghan settlement, whereas, Pakistan is the US’s vital partner.

It has consternated India to see Washington’s fast waning interest in 26/11 Mumbai case. Washington has regretted to put pressure on Islamabad to bring the alleged Pakistani perpetrators involved in attacks to justice. RAW had stage-managed Mumbai drama essentially to cut ISI to size by getting it declared a rogue outfit. Once India failed to produce any proof of Pakistan’s involvement, it played up David Headley, who had also been used in invented terrorist attack on Indian Parliament in 2001 and managed to register a case in USA in which ex DG ISI Lt Gen Pasha was listed as one of the accused. Washington is brushing aside India’s requests for the extradition of two key protagonists, David Headley and Tahawur Rana who are in the US jails. USA administered another shock by declaring that ISI being a State organ enjoys immunity from prosecution by a foreign country. Palpably, ISI is the single most important influence on the Taliban and Washington cannot do without its help and cooperation.

The fact that the US Congress is cooperating with the Administration’s decision to go soft on Pakistan shows that there is a broad consensus in the Washington political establishment regarding the centrality of Pakistan in the American regional strategies. To justify its overtures, the American commentators give the twist that Pakistan has had a real change of heart and is now prepared to play a productive role in negotiating an Afghan settlement. They argue that Islamabad has realized that so long as the Afghan war continues, Pakistan too will remain unstable and, therefore, only an Afghan settlement can resolve its own conflict with TTP insurgents; and that a lasting Afghan settlement needs to be tied to a broad-based power sharing arrangement that accommodates all Afghan groups; and, lastly that the peace dividends are so much more to Pakistan’s strategic advantage than a continued pursuit of the military option of supporting the Taliban.

Altered security environment in Afghanistan has in fact brought a discernible change in the attitude of USA. 2013 is about to end and the cutout date of December 2014 is drawing nearer. Obama is becoming desperate for a ceasefire. Even if the Taliban agree to hold talks sometime in 2014, with each passing day the US position at the negotiating table will become more and more untenable. Neither Afghan government or India or any other country can bail out ISAF from an utterly hopeless situation. Pitfalls are too many for the US military. 750000 major items worth more than $36 billion need to be transported out of Afghanistan. Shortest, easiest and cheapest routes are through Pakistan land routes via Torkham and Chaman. The US expects Pakistan to facilitate its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by providing secure transit routes to Karachi port, and also seeks Pakistan’s help to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table so that a political settlement could be negotiated and the war brought to an end. These compulsions have forced Washington to woo Pakistan and ignore India’s loud complaints.

As if these troubling developments were not enough to give sleepless nights to Indian policy makers, rumblings from within the TTP desiring peace talks with Pakistan government shocked them beyond measure. This terrorist outfit had been nurtured with lot of care since 2004 and colossal time, effort and resources have been spent by RAW to fortify it and enable it to confront and weaken Pak security forces and also to make FATA lawless. RAW, Afghan NDS, CIA and Mosad have had a big role in making TTP a formidable entity and in expanding its tentacles in all parts of Pakistan. Pak military didn’t suffer that many casualties in all the wars fought with India as it suffered in fighting the war on terror.

Division of splinter groups attached with TTP into two distinct groups, one in support of talks with the government led by Waliur Rahman and the other favoring continuation of war under Hakeemullah disturbed RAW and NDS the most. In order to weaken the pro-talks groups, deputy of Hakeemullah, Waliur Rahman and his like-minded six associates were killed by US drone in NW on May 30, 2013 as a result of information passed by anti-peace talks elements within TTP to CIA through Afghan NDS and RAW. Wali’s death was the first setback suffered by peace lovers; however, the TTP took the revenge from Pakistan so as to further intensify militancy.

Continuation of war on terror suits India the most since it can strike any sensitive target through TTP militants and also keep one-thirds of Pak Army embroiled in guerrilla war. Hence the ongoing efforts of government of Pakistan and unanimous resolution of All Parties Conference on September 9, 2013 authorizing the government to initiate unconditional talks with TTP for the restoration of peace and TTP’s positive response are distasteful for Indian leadership. In order to disrupt the peace process, Fazlullah based in Kunar was tasked by RAW and Afghan NDS to target Maj Gen Sanaullah Niazi who was on a visit to a deployed Baloch Regiment in Upper Dir. He couldn’t avail the helicopter flight because of inclement weather and decided to move back by road on September 15. Gen Niazi along with Lt Col Tauseef and one NCO were hit by an IED planted alongside the road and embraced Shahadat. Fazlullah proudly claimed responsibility and declared that his next targets were Gen Kayani and Commander 11 Corps. The TTP spokesman also claimed responsibility.

Other anti-talks groups were also energized to mindlessly strike targets in Peshawar since Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was most actively pursuing peace process. Church was struck by two suicide bombers killing 86 people and next a bus carrying government employees was hit and then Kissa Khawani was targeted in quick succession in September. PTI sitting MPA Gandapur was killed by a suicide bomber at his home. These attacks gave heart to anti-talks lobbies in media and among the liberal class to come down heavily upon the government stressing upon it to abandon peace process and renew fight with militants with full force.

The Ulema and Mashaikhs however, played a positive role in conveying to the militants that violence and suicide attacks were against the spirit of Islam and urged them to accept government’s offer of peace. A fatwa was also issued. Sunni Ittehad Council too expressed its resentment and threw a challenge to the TTP for open debate. Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Sirajuddin Haqqani and even Mullah Omar objected to TTP’s policy of targeting civilian targets and grappling with Pak security forces instead of contributing towards the Jihad against occupying forces in Afghanistan. The public also denounced TTP for preferring violence over peace. Finding their space getting restricted, much to the chagrin of India and Afghanistan, hawkish Hakeemullah got inclined towards dialogue and gave his consent to take part in the scheduled meeting in Miranshah on November 1.

Alarmed by this sudden development, Hakeemullah was killed by a drone on October 31.  The strike was facilitated by an informer of RAW within TTP in order to scuttle peace talks. India played a role in the selection of Fazlullah as new Ameer of TTP who is anti-Pakistan and anti-peace talks and is beholden to his hosts in Kunar where he is residing since June 2009. From the appraisal of India’s doings in the war on terror, one thing is amply clear that it loves terrorism and is against peace since terrorism helps India in accomplishing its imperialistic agenda without fighting a war.